At the social and cultural level, societies face multiple changes that affect the different orders of life. These transformations are giving rise to new ways of conceiving personal and family life planning. A global study conducted by the Argentine consulting firm Voices!
On the other hand, more and more people are living alone. In fact, one in four adults worldwide suffers from loneliness. The WHO declared loneliness a global public health problem , that affects mental health and is related to mortality: loneliness is considered to have the same impact on mortality as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For their part, human relationships are increasingly mediated by the smartphone screen, which despite emojis, lacks the strong physical aspect that gives us a relationship with pets, petting them or combing their hair.
This scenario of changes in family programming and people living alone leaves spaces uncovered, at an affective and bonding level. These spaces are increasingly occupied by pets, the four-legged companions. According to the census in Argentina, in the City of Buenos Aires today there are more dogs and cats than children under 14 years of age.
Even if we take children under 5 years old, there are 3 dogs and 2 cats for every child of this age. But pets are no longer just companion animals. Pets are increasingly being attributed anthropomorphic qualities, assigning them human characteristics, tastes, expectations, and desires.
This phenomenon constitutes what we call the humanization of pets, which come to play a central role in the life of the person or family. Thus, the habits of people who consider these new members as part of the family are modified, giving rise to the development of behaviors that focus on their furry companions. According to data from a survey conducted by the same Voices! The entry of this child into the family occurs for different reasons, including the desire for personal companionship, for a child, or even for another pet.
